Golan Road (Davy Russell) jumps to the front at the last© Photo Healy Racing
Golan Road was produced with a well-timed challenge by Davy Russell to gain a deserved win in the opening 2015 Leopardstown Membership Mares Maiden Hurdle.
The former champion brought the eight-year-old with a strong run from off the pace on the outer in the straight to lead at the final flight.
A point-to-point winner at Lismore last spring and placed a couple of times over hurdles at Limerick, the 5/1 chance stayed on well on the run-in to score by two lengths. Crystal Pearl the 9/4 favourite, put in her best work at the finish getting up to pip 66/1 outsider Teoleena for the runner-up spot.
Winning trainer Michael Griffin from Tallow said, "We're absolutely thrilled to be up here at Leopardstown. To have a runner at Leopardstown is good so to have a winner is great.
"She was very unlucky in Limerick and we took a chance running over two miles today. I rang Davy and he said two miles around Leopardstown was like two-and-a-half anywhere else.
"She was entitled to win. The owner Seamus (Neville) rides out every morning and got a fierce thrill coming up here today and seeing her do that. He bred her and has the family.
"I don't know where we'll go now as that was more or less the plan. We'll look for a mares novice or a winners of one."
Russell said, "She's tough. She is in at Fairyhouse on Wednesday but we felt that the track here would suit her better. They need to stay a bit better here. I rode her mother to win a race in Tramore, so I must be getting on a bit!"
(GC & AM)
